Days after a Madras High Court Judge and two advocates were denied entry into the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association Club for wearing dhotis, the state government on Wednesday warned that the licenses of those clubs which indulge in such acts will be cancelled.
The warning came from AIADMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
Making a statement in the state assembly today, the Chief Minister said that the act of denying entry to senior lawyers was against Tamil culture and tradition. She went on to say that such an incident taking place 67 years after independence is unfortunate.
Calling the ban sartorial despotism, Jaya also sought an explanation from the TNCA club.
Jayalalithaa further informed that her government will enact a law to end ban on dhoti in private clubs. The law is likely to be passed in current session of assembly itself.
Madras High Court Judge, Justice D Hariparanthaman was denied entry into the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association Club recently for wearing dhoti. When he alighted from his official car at the club premises to participate in a book release function organised by TS Arunachalam, a former Chief Justice of the High Court, some staff of the club told him that he could not enter the premises wearing dhoti as they had instructions from the office-bearers not to allow anyone in the premises who violated the club’s dress code.
The judge later termed the incident as “unfortunate”.
The incident was later condemned by DMK chief Karunanidhi, who said, “Wearing dhotis is Tamil culture and a ban on dhotis is condemnable. If there’s a compulsion that a certain dress code must be followed in a few places, the government must intervene and advise them. That will put an end to such incidents.”
